Louis DeSipio
Professor of Chicano/Latino Studies and Political Science | UC Irvine
Irvine, CA, UNITED STATES
Louis DeSipio examines how democratic nations incorporate new members, including policymaking in the areas of immigration.
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Biography
Louis DeSipio examines how democratic nations incorporate new members, including policymaking in the areas of immigration and voting rights. He also studies Latino political behavior.
Areas of Expertise (5)
U.S. Electoral Politics
Immigration
Ethnic Politics
Latino Politics
Latino Studies
Education (3)
University of Texas at Austin: PhD 1993
University of Texas at Austin: MA, Latin American Studies 1984
Columbia University: BA, History 1981
Affiliations (1)
- American Political Science Association
Links (5)
Media Appearances (15)
California could see record low voter turnout this primary. Why the apathy?
KNX News online
2024-03-05
KNX News' Chris Sedens goes in depth into why voter turnout here in California might reach a record low for a primary. Louis DeSipio is a UC Irvine political science professor. “Well, I don’t think it’s unique to this primary election. California has made the decision over the last several presidential elections to have its primary earlier and earlier – we’ve joined the Super Tuesday primary states – so the general election is six months in the future. We also have a pretty non-competitive race at the top of the ticket for both parties, so that discourages participation even further,” says DeSipio.
Turnout Low So Far in Orange County for Presidential Primary
My News LA online
2024-03-04
UC Irvine political science professor Lou DeSipio said because he lives in that district, [47th Congressional district], “I’m inundated every day with mailers from both sides, which confirms how much money is blowing around.” [Joanna] Weiss, he added, was “running a very serious campaign against the more establishment Dave Min.” DeSipio said he assumes [Scott] Baugh “will be in the top two,” and that the race will come down to Weiss or Min.
Joe Biden contradictory TikTok move an attempt to ‘reach younger voters’
Sky News Australia online
2024-02-17
University of California Irvine political science professor Louis DeSipio says Joe Biden’s TikTok move could be his way of reaching out to younger voters. “I think the TikTok – at least the one that the campaign put out – may have worked to slightly to his advantage. Not it alone, but if it’s part of a broader media strategy. President Biden has been weak among younger voters – people in their 20s – and one effective way of reaching out to them is through TikTok,” Mr. DeSipio told Sky News Australia.
“Many” will follow in Navalny’s footsteps despite him being a “unique leader”
Sky News Australia online
2024-02-17
University of California, Irvine political science professor Louis DeSipio is “confident” there will be many more Putin opposers, such as Alexei Navalny, despite him being a “unique leader of the movement.” Mr. DeSipio’s comments come in light of the death of Vladimir Putin's most significant opponent, Alexei Navalny. … “Mr. Navalny was a unique leader of that movement. It’s not clear who his successor will be … who will take up the mantle of challenging President Putin. But I think we can be confident that there will be many that follow,” Mr. DeSipio told Sky News Australia.
Immigration emerges as key 2024 election wedge issue for Trump, vulnerability for Biden
ABC News online
2024-01-25
Biden's apparent shift "appeals to moderates and independents in the electorate but does risk alienating more progressive members of the party," said Louis DeSipio, a political science and Chicano-Latino professor at UC Irvine. "Biden's on a tightrope with this issue," DeSipio said. "It's the first time in quite a while that Democrats have had this level of internal division over immigration." … DeSipio said Trump, both during his presidency and in the years since, has "captured the fear of the change that was coming to the country" with migration over the past few decades and amplified it.
Is the Democratic party shifting its thinking on immigration?
LAist – AirTalk online
2023-12-18
With the crisis at the border mounting, immigration is expected to be a hot-button issue for 2024’s elections … Immigration has long been a wedge issue for Republicans, but how are the politics of immigration shifting within the Democratic party? Joining us to discuss … Louis DeSipio, professor of political science and Chicano/Latino studies at University of California, Irvine. “I think it’s very significant in that this is the first serious conversation about immigration in Congress in a decade. And it’s unfortunate that it’s not a debate about the broad parameters of immigration but it’s very focused on restriction and particularly restriction of asylum seekers,” says DeSipio.
U.S. diplomat Henry Kissinger dies aged 100
Sky News Australia online
2023-11-29
University of California, Irvine Political Science Professor Louis DeSipio says former U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger had a “willing accomplice” in former President Richard Nixon and was “entrusted” with his “clear ideas” on what he wanted to do. … “Nixon placed foreign policy at the center of his administration in a way that few presidents had, and he entrusted Mr. Kissinger with guiding that policy and Kissinger had very clear ideas about what he wanted to do,” says DeSipio.
Kevin McCarthy’s exit “not unprecedented” after pre-election agreement
Sky News Australia online
2023-10-04
Former US House of Representatives speaker Kevin McCarthy’s exit was not unprecedented as it took 15 separate ballot attempts to elect him, says University of California, Irvine professor [of political science and Chicano/Latino studies] Louis DeSipio. “He agreed to a process whereby any single member could challenge his maintaining the office. Today, somebody took him up on that – and the vote was narrow but it was enough to remove him from the office … I think it is going to be a free-for-all for the next week – and we’ll see who is able to unite much of that caucus.” says DeSipio.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy voted out. “What a shock to the system!”
KNX In-Depth online
2023-10-03
KNX In Depth's Rob Archer and Elsa Ramon discuss the House vote to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy … Louis DeSipio is a political analyst and professor [of political science and Chicano/Latino studies] at UC Irvine. “The Speaker pro temp will have very little power except for sort of procedural power. The real effort will be to identify somebody who wants to assume the speakership right now – and that’s a very difficult challenge for any member of Congress,” says DeSipio. [Starts 9:20]
U.S. Government Shutdown Deadline Approaches
Sky News Australia online
2023-09-30
Washington D.C. just continues to be a hotbed of political drama. The man – as we just heard – right in the middle of it is House Speaker, Kevin McCarthy. Joining me is Professor Louis DeSipio, professor of political science [and Chicano/Latino studies] at University of California, Irvine … “The responsibility lies with the Republican caucus in the House of Representatives and their inability to agree. In the past, these shutdowns have been a bipartisan affair – generally a President of one party and a House of Congress controlled by the other party – this one is all Republicans in the House. The Senate is actually looking for a bipartisan temporary solution, at least” says DeSipio.
Possible government shutdown: Who won’t get paid, which services will stop?
KCRW – Press Play with Madeleine Brand radio
2023-09-28
Republicans in Congress might force the government to shut down when the fiscal year ends on Oct. 1… Joining us to discuss what another shutdown will mean and why this kind of thing keeps happening in our national politics is Louis DeSipio – he’s a political science [and Chicano/Latino studies] professor at UC Irvine… “My strong suspicion is that we’ll have at least a short-term shutdown of the federal government and probably one that lasts into the medium term – a couple of weeks,” says DeSipio.
Donald Trump ‘taking advantage’ of weak opponent field
Sky News online
2023-09-23
Donald Trump is taking advantage of the “weakness” in his opposing field, says UC Irvine professor of political science Louis DeSipio. His comments come as the former US president campaigns for the 2024 presidential election. “He’s [Trump] not even campaigning very hard at this point, which is a pretty dramatic statement. There will be another Republican presidential debate coming up and that will give an opportunity for somebody to lead the pack though I don’t have high hopes that any of them will be able to do that much better than they did in the first presidential debate,” says DeSipio.
Should there be a maximum age limit for lawmakers?
KNX News online
2023-07-28
KNX In Depth's Charles Feldman and Brian Ping discuss whether there should be a maximum age limit on lawmakers. Louis DeSipio is a political science professor at UC Irvine. “You know the Constitution does set some limits on who we can elect. We can’t elect members to the House of Representatives younger than 25 or members of the Senate younger than 30, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable, I think, to have a comparable limit on the other end,” says DeSipio.
DeSantis Calls for ‘Deadly Force’ Against Suspected Drug Traffickers
The New York Times online
2023-06-27
“The bulk of the proposal is the usual laundry list of Republican talking points that have not been successful, either in Congress or in the court of public opinion,” said [Professor] Louis DeSipio, a political scientist at the University of California, Irvine, citing the idea to end birthright citizenship, among other proposals. “The purpose is probably not a serious policy debate but instead to focus on an issue that is a weakness for Biden and a sensitive one for Trump.”
Is Senator Dianne Feinstein too sick to serve?
KNX radio
2023-05-18
KNX In Depth's Charles Feldman and Rob Archer discuss whether Senate Dianne Feinstein is much sicker than what we were led to believe. Guest: Louis DeSipio, political science professor at UC Irvine. “Her vote is very critical on much the Senate has to consider over the next few months. Obviously judicial confirmations have been the one because she serves on the Judiciary Committee. But also hopefully there will be some resolution to the debt limit and lots of budget negotiations. In a nearly evenly divided Senate, her vote is critical and it’s not clear that she has the capabilities on every given day to be able to judge what’s best for the state of California.”
